Valve have released the latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey for November 2024. Here's the details from it. The good news, for Linux users, is that Linux remains above 2% again overall.
Interestingly though, for last month Valve actually adjusted the numbers at some point in the month for the languages used on Steam and the Linux distribution list, so the previous article and our dedicated Steam Tracker page were corrected with the newer numbers. But the overall platform percentage remained the same.
Here's the overall platform stats for November 2024:
- Windows 96.56% -0.05%
- Linux 2.03% +0.03%
- macOS 1.41%+0.02%
Seems like things just going back to normal, with the Simplified Chinese language option continuing to drop for three months in a row which always causes a change in the Linux numbers.
To get an interactive chart visit the Steam Tracker page.
For just Linux here's the most popular distributions:
- SteamOS Holo (Steam Deck) 64 bit 36.63% -0.28%
- Arch Linux 64 bit 9.16% +0.30%
- Freedesktop SDK 24.08 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit 4.99% +4.99%
- Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS 64 bit 4.79% -0.01%
- Linux Mint 22 64 bit 4.49% +0.25%
- Ubuntu Core 22 64 bit 3.76% -0.02%
- Manjaro Linux 64 bit 2.99% -0.04%
- Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm) 64 bit 2.52% +2.52%
- Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS 64 bit 2.49% -0.24%
- Other 28.18% +1.38%
See more on the Steam survey.
I've noted a couple dates in my calendar to go back and check for any adjustments again later this month.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
When is Microsoft forcing the windows 11 upgrade and abandoning 10? I think it's soon right? Every time there's some article on like ars technica or similar, there's always a ton of comments that go "fine I'll just switch to linux then" but of course that's just a lot of talk. I wonder if whenever that date is, if we actually DO see a measurable uptick in linux usage because people's totally 100% fine computers running windows 10 aren't "supported" anymore.
edit: also just wanted to say lol I'm in the "other" category. openSUSE Tumbleweed lets go!
Last edited by Jarmer on 2 December 2024 at 2:38 pm UTC
edit: also just wanted to say lol I'm in the "other" category. openSUSE Tumbleweed lets go!
Last edited by Jarmer on 2 December 2024 at 2:38 pm UTC
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Update: upgraded the chart to show a coloured data point for events, added Steam Deck OLED release label, added vertical lines to specific events.
The Steam Tracker page for the top Linux chart also now shows data point labels on hovering anywhere on the chart. It even works on mobile finger taps.
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 2 December 2024 at 2:53 pm UTC
The Steam Tracker page for the top Linux chart also now shows data point labels on hovering anywhere on the chart. It even works on mobile finger taps.
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 2 December 2024 at 2:53 pm UTC
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In case anyone wants the data on how much is Linux desktop and how much is Steam Deck, it's easy to see the trends.
As always, Steam as a whole is growing, so proportions staying flat (or even declining) doesn't mean totals are reducing, all data are noisy, etc, etc.
As always, Steam as a whole is growing, so proportions staying flat (or even declining) doesn't mean totals are reducing, all data are noisy, etc, etc.
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Quoting: Liam DaweQuoting: HighballSure. I can understand that. My reply would be the same though, it's still the Steam Deck that has massively pushed the number up. So the title focused on that, and everything else is in the article list. TBH it feels like pedantic nit-picking at the title from kokoko3k. So I won't be entertaining comments on it further, I have much better things to do like upgrading the chart... :)Quoting: Liam DaweQuoting: kokoko3kThey are mentioned clearly in the article in the list. Don’t really get what you’re trying to say here. A title only tells so much, and focused on what is actually pushing the number.Quoting: Liam DaweQuoting: kokoko3kThe title led me to expect a rise in SteamOS Holo usage.It is correct. The point of the title is that the Steam Deck is what's still pushing the Linux number up.
However, the data shows a -0.28% decrease.
Is this a mistake or am I interpreting it incorrectly?
While "SteamOS Holo 64bit" is the first OS on the Steam chart, we should not forget that the other 63%+ of the Linux Steam usage polled by comes from other distros.
Writing this because I think they deserve a mention too ;)
I think he means, Steam Deck added a huge chunk. But pure desktop is growing as well. There was a point that Steam Deck was almost 50% of the Linux percentage. Steam Deck hasn't stopped selling well. I figure, with the continued growth and success of the Steam Deck, it's percentage declining means that more and more people are installing Linux to their gaming machines. I definitely haven't seen any trends of people switching from SteamOS on their Steam Deck.
lol, I didn't even read the "thanks to Steam Deck" part of the title. Now it makes more sense. I mean, there definitely isn't a 2% Linux without the 36% Steam Deck at this point. The accelerated pace of tools and drivers undoubtedly a result of investment by Valve into the Linux eco system for Steam Deck. No Steam Deck, no accelerated pace. I'm with ya.
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Quoting: Jarmerthere's always a ton of comments that go "fine I'll just switch to linux then" but of course that's just a lot of talk.
It's the same crowd that goes "I'll switch when they release SteamOS!1!11!!".
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Quoting: Liam DaweUpdate: upgraded the chart to show a coloured data point for events, added Steam Deck OLED release label, added vertical lines to specific events.Additional update:
The Steam Tracker page for the top Linux chart also now shows data point labels on hovering anywhere on the chart. It even works on mobile finger taps.
- Added a link to toggle the event labels!
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I'd love it if Steam published these stats but somehow narrowed them down, or collated them somehow with their "concurrent users" list. I feel like the monthly-active-users list (130M accounts) probably includes a fair bit of churn and burn accounts for their free games, particularly combined with China and their internet-cafe culture, or just assholes twinking on counter-strike.
Maybe concurrent users (around 38M) isn't quite right - it's more like "Frequently used over 6 months, with 10+ paid-for games" or something like that. Filter out the dross.
If you just take 2% as the Linux share and apply that to the concurrent users, it suggests that there's always at least 750K Linux users playing games... and even as a rabid Linux advocate, that feels pretty high to me! While 2% of the total figure of 135M is 2.7M which feels entirely believable.
Man, stats are hard.
Maybe concurrent users (around 38M) isn't quite right - it's more like "Frequently used over 6 months, with 10+ paid-for games" or something like that. Filter out the dross.
If you just take 2% as the Linux share and apply that to the concurrent users, it suggests that there's always at least 750K Linux users playing games... and even as a rabid Linux advocate, that feels pretty high to me! While 2% of the total figure of 135M is 2.7M which feels entirely believable.
Man, stats are hard.
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